I Never Thought of You This Way
by amberpire
Summary: It all started with a dream. ;Jen/Wyatt;
1. The Dream

AN: This is something I cooked up while watching 6teen and reading some fanfictions. I noticed that there are hardly any JenxWyatt! I adore this show and all of its characters. This is my first heterosexual couple, but I think they're really cute. I hope I pull it off. R&R!

Disclaimer: I don't own 6teen, Cartoon Network does.

--

**The Dream**

It all started with a dream.

In the dream, I was in a huge, beautiful building, with chandeleirs and candles and all that fancy jazz. I was dressed in one of those old time fluffy dresses chicks wore in the 17th century with the corset and everything. Not that I didn't mind the gorgeous dress, but the corset was beginning to hurt my ribs. I was too distracted by the vividness of my dream to notice the dancers around me and how closely they resembled my friends - there's Nikki, only no piercings, and her hair was a more natural brown color, dancing with Jonesy, and there's Caitlin dancing with a boy who looks suspiciously like Jude (hehe, couldn't wait to tell her that) and, who's that startingly handsome gentlman?

The man in question was tall, dark, and hidden completely by a black mask. He was decked in a really hot old-fashion suit, with the buttons and gold lining and - oh, it doesn't matter. He was hot, and mysterious, and he extended his hand to me and I took it without even thinking about it. He twirled me on the dance floor under the fantastic candlelight and soon we were spinning in the middle of the marble floor, the other couples disappearing until it was just us, alone. I was actually pretty surprised that I was dancing properly and not embarassing myself in front of this mystery man and I was just starting to really enjoy everything when the guy took off his mask and _oh my goodness holy shoe sale _-

I woke up in a sweat and with tinglies in places I didn't know could tingle. I ran my hands through my hair. "Oh my God," I said, collapsing back on my pillow. "I just dreamed about _Wyatt_."


	2. The Question

**The Question**

"That's bad, right?" I stared into the contents of my lemonade, unable to get myself to enjoy it's lemony goodness. Ever since the Dancing Dream, I had found simple things hard to get into, especially if Wyatt was around. _This is so stupid!_ I thought, crashing my forehead on the table of the Big Squeeze. Wyatt's my friend, and it was just a dream, why was I making such a big deal out of it?

"I don't think it's bad at all, Jen! You have a crush on Wyatt, I think it's cute." Caitlin smiled and kicked her feet up on the table. The blonde pulled a magazine from her purse. "According to Teen Pulse," she started, flipping through the pages. "Dreams are our subconcious sorting through problems while we sleep. Maybe you've always liked Wyatt and you're just now learning how to deal with it!" She slammed down the magazine and smiled enthusiastically. Anything involving relationships made Caitlin's blood pump. "What's there not to like, Jen? Wyatt's cute and he likes music and he's nice and, oh! Jen, he could write you a song!" She pretended to faint, putting the back of her hand to her forehead. "That's the most romantic thing _ever_."

I groaned. "Caitlin, seriously. Wyatt and I have been friends forever. I've never thought of him this way." I ran my hands through my hair, inspecting the orange ends for any split hairs. "Besides, Wyatt isn't into me. He likes sophistication."

Caitlin blew bubbles into her lemonade. "Jen," she said, wiping lemon drops from her lips. "You are the most mature and sophisticated girl I know. That _any _of us know. Wyatt would be an idiot to not like you." Caitlin reached over and touched my arm. "Really, it's all going to work out. Fate always brings lovers together!"

"Gahhh," I slumped dramatically in my chair. Wyatt was cute. I'd always thought that. And he was really nice, and he had the sweetest singing voice, and now that I thought about it, last summer he had really buffed up and -

_Ok, stop, you horndog._

"What's up?" I looked up as Nikki plopped beside me, screwing a new stud in her nose. She mimicked Caitlin, throwing her feet on the table.

"Hey," I mumbled half-heartedly, staring up at the ceiling.

"What's wrong?" Nikki inquired, flipping out her phone. She grinned that love-sick goofy grin she always did when Jonesy sent her a text and her fingers hurriedly went to reply. My stomach turned because I wanted that, too.

"Jen likes Wyatt."

I sat up, throwing my hand over Caitlin's mouth. "Will you shut up! I don't like Wyatt!"

Nikki looked up at us, mid-text. "Oh." She went to finish it, unphased.

"Jen's dreaming about him. In a romantic way. They were at a masquerade, Nikki. A _masquerade_." Caitlin sighed. A customer walked in and she jumped up, swaying like she was dancing and still sighing. The drama queen.

"Soooo," Nikki said, wiggling her eyebrows at me. "Wyatt, hmm?"

"Oh, shut up." I sighed, tracing circles on the table with my fingers. "It was just a dream."

"Dreams are our suboncious sorting through problems -"

"Do you read Teen Pulse too?!"

"Possibly."

"Aggghhh!" I pushed off the table, standing up. "I have to go back to work."

"Avoiding the issue." Nikki grinned and flipped out her phone again. "You know, I dreamed of Jonesy before we dated. A _lot_."

Fuming, I stomped off to work. They didn't know anything. I shouldn't have even brought it up. It's just Wyatt. He's my friened. That's how it's going to stay. I turned into the sports store and threw myself behind the cash register. As usual, the store was practically empty, so I tried to focus on Brad, the realllllly hot new employee who I had caught staring at my butt just a few days ago. I stared at his blonde hair, his blue eyes, how they made him classicly good looking, and then my mind drifted off and his skin turned darker, and darker, until it was a smooth chocolate brown, and his hair started to darken and twist and his eyes grew darker and -

_WOAH. KNOCK IT OFF_.

I sighed and shook my head, rubbing my eyes. This is getting really, really ridiculous.

"Hey, Jen."

I 'eeek'ed and nearly toppled when I saw Wyatt standing on the other side of the counter. He quirked a brow at me. "Um, ok. Hey, I have a question."

"Yeah, sorry, what's up?" My hands were sweating and my heart was rushing in my ears and _oh my God what is wrong with me_?

"I was going to take this girl to a movie, but she canceled on me." He sighed and leaned against the counter and I had never wanted to punch someone so bad in my life. Who would stand up glorious, awesome, handsome - _ok stop it_. "I already bought the tickets and I don't want to waste them, so you wanna catch it after work?" He pulled the tickets out of his pockets and wiggled them inbetween his knuckles.

This shouldn't be weird, Wyatt asking me to go to the movies. It wasn't unusual for us to hang out alone. Sometimes we took our lunch break together or studied together or went for walks or saw movies. Why did I suddenly feel like I was being asked on a date?

"Jen? Hellloooo?"

"Oh, uhm, yeah, that's cool. Sure. Yeah." I snapped my mouth shut before I could make an idiot out of myself. "What time?"

"I'll meet you there at eight. See you then." He quirked his eyebrow again before leaving with a small wave and I returned it waayyy too enthusiastically.

"I'm such a moron," I mumbled, falling against the counter.

"MASTERSON! BACK TO WORK!"


	3. The 'Date' Thing

**The 'Date' Thing**

I have never in my life worried about how I looked in front of my friends. Whenever we had a get together at Caitlin's house (because it was the biggest house) I'd sometimes show up in my pajamas with my hair up in an off center ponytail and no make-up and no one even thought twice about it. That's just the kind of friends I had. Until this date - _no! It's not a date!_ - thing with Wyatt. After work I spent an agonizingly long time in the bathroom, fluffing my hair, reapplying my make-up, smoothing out my shirt, wishing I had perfume with me - all that ridiculous stuff I do when I'm going out with a guy I barely know. I sighed, glaring at my reflection.

_Face it, Jen, you like Wyatt_. Just the thought sent my heart pounding and my stomach flipping crazily.

I hooked my purse on my arm and pushed myself out of the bathroom. I checked my phone. 7:55. I'd have to walk briskly if I wanted to meet Wyatt there at eight. I started a quick pace, trying to calm myself down.

"Hey, dudette." A friendly hand nudged my shoulder and I relaxed as I turned to Jude's face. The blonde grinned and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "What is up my orange friend?"

"Going to a movie with Wyatt," I replied, my gut twisting uncomfortably.

"Awesome, awesome. Hey, I have a question. Do you think, uh." He laughed nervously and I thought for a second he was going to ask me out (As much as I love Jude, we would never connect on that level) but then he smiled lopsidedly and said, "do you think Caitlin would go out with me?"

I smirked, remembering Caitlin's squeal when I told her about Jude being her dance partner in my dream. "Absolutely, Jude. Without a doubt."

"That. Totally. Rocks." Jude squeezed my shoulders and started heading toward the Big Squeeze. "See you later, orange tater!"

I will never understand Jude. But he makes me laugh, so it's ok.

I thought about our group, how we had been together for years and how much growing up we were doing. We had jobs now. We had cars. And we were developing feelings for each other. I guess it was inevitable, us being teenagers, and having hormones, and all that stuff. Nikki and Jonesy were so right for each other it was scary, and we all knew Caitlin and Jude would eventually hook up, and Wyatt and I ...I had no idea how Wyatt felt about me. No one really knew about Wyatt's love life. He had dated a girl, Serena, for a while, but nothing came of it. Just a short fling. I had had so many boyfriends over the years they all kind of blurred together. Could it be that Wyatt and I were just, supposed to be together?

The theatre was approaching. I groaned inwardly. There weren't many people tonight and I could easily make out Wyatt at the concession stand. I took a deep breath before stepping to his side, trying to act nonchalant but I was too distracted by Wyatt's smell that hit me like a brick wall. I'd never noticed it before, but Wyatt smelled _good_. Like, really good. A perfect man smell.

_Please tell me I'm in a coma. A really weird Wyatt coma._

"Oh, hey Jen." Wyatt smiled, flashing straight perfect pearls. "You want the usual?" He motioned to the concession stand where an unhappy pimply boy stared at us blankly, hand poised over the cash register.

"Um." Whenever I went to the movies with friends, I always got the same thing - a medim popcorn bowl (extra butter) and a bottle of water. Half of it was gone before the previews were even over. If I came on a date, though, I didn't get anything. "No," I said. My rumbling stomach protested. "I'm good."

"Alright." Wyatt eyed me suspiciously and picked up his popcorn from the counter. "Are you ok?" he inquired, leading us to our room. I didn't even know what movie we were seeing. I caught the title as we were stepping in - the new Transformers movie.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" The boy knew me all to well. We stepped into the dark room, barely filled. Wyatt led us to our usual spots - in the middle of the room in the middle of the row. We sat and I could smell his popcorn and holy moly did I want some.

_I'm so stupid._

"You've been acting weird all day," he said, balancing his popcorn on his knees. He faced me. "Something bothering you?"

_Oh, Wyatt, you don't even know_. "No, just. Lots of stuff going on. Work. Dating. Family. You know how it goes." I twirled my thumbs in my lap, avoiding his eyes.

"Oh. Ok, then." Even though the conversation was dubbed over, I could feel his eyes on me until the movie began, and only then did he turn to face the screen.

I honestly couldn't even tell you what the heck that movie was about, considering I hadn't seen the first one. There was lots of action, and loud noises, and robots. Big, scary, freaky looking robots. Shia LaBeouf was pretty cute, but I was too hyperaware of Wyatt next to me to enjoy his good looks. I spent the entire movie watching him from the corner of my eyes, staring at his hand on the rest next to me and thinking about how much I wanted to reach over and hold it. I went through the motions in my head even; pictured myself leaning over, slipping my hand over his, curling my fingers around his, feeling his smooth skin beneath mine - oh, God, I sound so creepy! If someone could read my thoughts right now they'd be like Ew! What the heck is wrong with this girl! Ugh!

When it ended, Wyatt was smiling, obviously pleased with the ending. The lights lifted. "Wasn't that awesome?" He asked, standing up and stretching. I stood up too, but I just stood there like an idiot and watched his body leaaaannnn. His shirt was a little short in front so when he leaned backwards it lifted and I could see the lines his hip bones made that disappeared into his jeans.

Seriously. There is something wrong with me.

"Yeah," I replied, smiling warmly. It was the most succesfull I'd been all night. We walked out of the aisle, Wyatt re-enacting his favorite scene (one I didn't remember) and I just listened to him talk and I wondered why I had never started liking him before. Wyatt was the kind of guy that girls realized they should have stayed with long after they had dumped him. He listened, he cared, he did the little important things every girl wanted a boy to do.

He was perfect. In every sense of the word.

We walked silently out of the mall doors. I needed to say something to defuse the awkward atmosphere but couldn't come up with anything worth saying. We just walked down the parking lot toward our cars (which were parked very near each other, actually).

"I'll see you tomorrow, Jen. Thanks for coming to the movie with me." Wyatt paused and eyed me again. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about anything?" He stepped toward me and we were very close now, in the dark, mostly alone. Cars started around us but all I could focus on was Wyatt's face and his smell and his eyes. "I'm not dumb. I know when something's bothering you."

"N-nothing, nothing," I stuttered, getting lost in his chocolate eyes. "I'm fine, really."

I knew he knew I was lying. He could read me easier than a childrens' book, but he didn't say anything. He just nodded. "Thanks again." And then he headed toward his car.

"No problem," I said, though it was too quiet for him to hear. Sighing, I unlocked my car and crawled in, watching Wyatt pull away in my rearview mirror.


	4. The Protector

**The Protector**

I didn't sleep well that night. I barely slept at all, which sucked when I had to get up at 7:30. Groggily slapping my alarm clock, I pulled myself out of bed and into the shower. I tried to keep Wyatt and our awkward date thing out of my head as long as I could. I managed to do a good job of that until I pulled into the mall parking lot and saw Wyatt's car down the aisle.

"Crap." I got out of the car and yawned, grabbing my purse before heading toward the mall doors. The mall wasn't open to the public yet - wouldn't be till nine - which gave Caitlin, Jude, Nikki, Jonesy, (wince) Wyatt, and I time to chill before customers started coming. Lovely.

I flashed my worker's license at Ron, the mall cop, and waited while he unlocked the doors and let me in. I walked away with my head down, not needing to look up to know where I was going, and still rolling the date thing over in my head when I heard a sharp voice - "Hey!"

I spun around, alarmed, imagining some wild gunman or something, but what I saw was _Wyatt _stomping toward _Ron_.

_What's going on?_ I watched as Wyatt approached him and started talking harshly, but I was too far away to hear. Suddenly he pointed at me and turned and we made some intense eye-contact. I've never seen Wyatt mad before - not once in my whole life - but the look in his eyes now was the most anger I've ever seen in a person, and then he whirled and faced Ron again, nudging his chest with his finger.

I had always believed Ron wouldn't be afraid of anything, much less a teenage boy, but he looked scared out of his mind when he looked up at Wyatt now. Speaking of, the dark-skinned boy whispered one last thing before spinning and stomping toward me.

"What was that all about?" I asked when he was closer. He didn't answer. He simply put his arm around my waist (whaaaat) and turned me around, pulling me away from Ron. I looked up, surprised, to see Wyatt struggling to control his anger by grinding his teeth.

This was weird. This was very, very weird for Wyatt. Wyatt was so in control, so calm and cool. I had never seen him get so mad, not even when we all didn't show up for his show a few months ago, and that was low of us. He literally looked like it was taking all of his strength to not turn around and toss Ron out the window.

"Wyatt? Hello? What happened back there?"

His arm tightened around my waist, which made me really, really dizzy to have him and his smell and his warmth so close to me. "Ron was." He shook his head. "Looking at you."

"Well, what does that - " and then I realized what he meant by _looking _at me and I shut up. We walked silently for a while, letting him lead me through the twisting hallways of the mall, not at all objecting the fact that he was a) protecting me and b) still had his arm around my waist. "What exactly did you say?" I asked after a while as we neared the Big Squeeze. We usually all hung out there until about eight-thirty, when we all went our separate ways for work.

Except Jonesy. Jonesy never had a job. No one was really sure what he did all day, actually.

"I told him if he ever looked at you that way again, I'd rip his throat out." He winced and (sadly) pulled his arm away. "I let the testorterone take control for a minute. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you."

"You didn't embarrass me," I said. "It was actually really ... nice." And then I blushed madly like a crushing little kid. "Thanks."

He chuckled. "No problem, Jen." We stopped outside the Big Squeeze, peering into the empty lemonade shop. No one else was there. "Last night was awkward." He faced me and I was confused by the sudden change in conversation.

"Um, yeah, it was. Sorry. Uh." I blinked furiously and probably looked like an idiot as I struggled to come up with something reasonable.

But, thank Jude, I didn't have to.

"Dude and dudette." Arms swung around our shoulders. "I have arrived. The party can begin."

"Hey guys!" We turned and saw Caitlin waving at us from down the hall. I watched Jude's smile turn into a sloppy grin as he released us and headed toward her. He opened his arms and Wyatt and I gawked as Caitlin melted into them.

"This is new," I said.

"It is." Wyatt cocked his head.

I watched him watch them and wished for something new.

----

**AN**: I hope you're all liking this story as much as I am. (:


	5. The Revelation

**The Revelation**

"Ohmigod that's the most romantic thing I've ever heard!" Caitlin literally looked like she was about to faint. She held an empty cup under the lemon-shaped dispenser, staring at me with huge, blue eyes. "He just walked right up to Ron and _yelled _at him? Seriously, Jen, that's, that's -"

"I know." I couldn't help but grin goofily. "It was awesome."

"Jonesy did that once," Nikki joined from the table behind us. "A guy was looking at my boobs when I was buying something and Jonesy got so mad. The maddest I've ever seen him. He said 'My _girlfriend_ has a face and I'd appreciate if you looked at it.' Men get really weird about other men checking out their girls." Nikki shrugged. "It was hot."

"Isn't it?" I sighed and felt myself start to tingle again. "At first I thought crushing on Wyatt would just make things weird but now ... I dunno." I grinned and took my lemonade from Caitlin, sipping at it. "It feels right somehow." I turned to Nikki. "Are you going to ... marry Jonesy?"

Nikki's eyebrows yanked about halfway down her face. "Why?"

"You've been together for a long time," Caitlin piped in. "And you're in love with him, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah."

"So, do you think you'll ever tie the knot?" I sat down next to her and Caitlin joined us in the middle, crossing her legs daintly.

Nikki's face flushed. "Well, I don't, I don't know, we're barely seventeen yet."

"Do you picture yourself with anyone else?" Caitlin asked quietly, as if this was some big secret.

Nikki shrugged, her cheeks turning red. "No."

"Do you want to marry him?" I asked.

"Well. Not right now."

"So you do." Cailtlin clapped her hands together.

Nikki smiled at us, shrugging again. "When you guys find 'the one' you'll feel it. Right here." She put a hand over her stomach. "When you're with them, it feels like everything bad that ever happened to you was worth it because it brought you to that moment with them. It feels like no matter what happens, you'll always be happy as long as they're there. Jonesy ... he makes me feel that way. He makes me feel important and wanted and loved - and that's weird, knowing he loves me. You always think of yourself as unloveable but then you meet that person and ..." She drifted off. I had never heard Nikki talk so much, and never so deeply. I'm such a sap that I started to cry a little.

"Oh, suck it up, you blubbering girls." Nikki snorted as Caitlin and I wiped at our eyes.

"There's blub going on?"

We all turned to Jonesy. I faced Nikki again and watched her eyes completely shift from brooding to absolute bliss when they registered him. Jonesy rounded the table to stand behind Nikki and put his hands on her shoulders. Jonesy's my stepbrother, so thinking of him in any romantic way is really, really gross, but seeing him and Nikki together is just so right - the way they touch other, look at each other, the tone they use when they speak to each other - I knew what love looked like when I looked at them.

When I looked at Wyatt.

I gasped. Nikki stopped mid-sentence and shifted her attention to me.

"What is it, Jen?" Caitlin leaned into my line of vision.

"You guys." The revelation was kicking me in the face. I hadn't just suddenly liked Wyatt. I had always liked Wyatt. Since we were kids. And it wasn't just liking him anymore. That's why we hung out alone all the time. We weren't just friends to each other. We both knew that. Our chemistry could spark a forestfire. At least, I hoped we were both aware. I knew that now. I stood up, not quite sure what to do with this startling information. "Guys, you know how we always knew you two would get together?" I waved at Nikki and Jonesy. "And we always used to talk about how Caitlin and Jude would eventually admit they liked each other?" They stared at me blankly, not sure where I was going with this. "Did you guys ever talk about Wyatt and I?" I hoped someone had noticed it. The chemistry. The chemistry that flew between Nikki and Jonesy, Caitlin and Jude. I felt it, someone had to have noticed.

"Well, yeah." Nikki looked at me like I should've gotten this a long time ago. "Sparks have been flying between you two for years."

"Even I noticed," Jonesy added. "And I'm not aware of much that doesn't concern me."

"Jen, you never knew Wyatt liked you?'

"Obviously not!" I whirled to Caitlin. "You knew and didn't tell me? Just yesterday you said 'Wyatt would be an idiot not to like me'."

"Yeah, beause he does, and he'd be an idiot to not." Caitlin's eyes blinked at the confusing grammar in her previous sentence, then continued. "Besides, it's not like he came up to me one day and confessed his love for you. Just like Jonesy and Nikki and Jude and I, we all just knew. We didn't have to be told."

I didn't know if I should sit or run or flop around because I loved Wyatt. I freakin' loved him.

"I love him." I looked at each of my friends in the eye. "I... I love Wyatt."

"Duh?" Jonesy looked bored. "I'm hungry. Want something from McFlipsters?" He nudged Nikki.

"What do I do?" I flopped on the chair but my heart was beating a million miles a minute. "Do I tell him?"

Caitlin looked like a headless chicken, bouncing in her chair, grinning stupidly. "You love Wyatt? Like, hardcore, soulmate love love?"

"I don't know! I just, I love him." Saying the words out loud felt like a rollercoaster, over and over again.

"Wait till after work. Catch him before he goes home. Tell him. It'll be really, really romantic," Caitlin said. "In movies and books guys do that more often than girls, but you're not like them, are you, Jen?"

My heart plummeted. "After work? That's a long time!"

Caitlin's eyes flipped around the mall. "This isn't a very romantic setting, Jen. Wait till after work. Under the glow of the moon. In front of the fountain! Oh, pleeeasseee do it in front of the fountain!"

"Jen, we don't need to be 'doing it' in front of the fountain. This is why man created beds and bedrooms." Jude popped up from behind Caitlin and wrapped his arms around her waist. She blushed and leaned into his chest. "What are we doing in front of the fountain?"

"Jen's confessing her love to Wyatt." Nikki said in the tangles of Jonesy's arms.

"Congrats, Orange." Jude smiled at me. "We've known you loved the dude forever."

"Thanks for letting me know." I sighed and looked at the clock. "It's only two. I have to wait seven hours." I crashed my head on my arms. Even though I had to wait what seemed like an eternity, I felt better now. I couldn't believe I had never realized this before: that I loved Wyatt. That I had always loved Wyatt, and not the way I love Jude or Jonesy. I guess because we had been friends for so long, the thought of being with him like _that _had never crossed my mind. But that dream - that glorious, amazing dream - had sent me to this moment right here, right now. Realizing I love Wyatt.

"Ok, I have to go to work, but, um, don't tell Wyatt anything. Ohmygosh, I love Wyatt. Ok, bye!" I scampered off, but before I was completely out of earshot, I heard Jonesy mumble:

"It's about time they get together."

My heart leaped.


	6. The Wait

**The Wait**

The next seven hours were the longest seven hours of my whole life. I stared at the clock at work, watching it tick down the time before I saw Wyatt. Before I told Wyatt everything. What was I planning on saying, anyway? That kept me occupied for a while; planning what I was going to say. At three, Jude and Caitlin came bouncing into the Penalty Box, hand in hand. I was putting basketballs away when they skipped up to me.

"Six more hours!" And then they turned and ran away. Caitlin has some impressive running-in-heels skills.

My next break was at 5:30. We all usually met up at the Big Squeeze for our breaks, but I didn't know if I could take facing Wyatt now - I'd probably explode. Which would be unfortunate because I kind of need my organs and stuff. But I couldn't just hang out at work, he might get the wrong idea and think I am avoiding him. At four, I was putting up a sale sign in the window when Nikki and Jonesy popped up from behind me, scaring me so bad I toppled with the sign.

"Five more hours!" And then they ran.

"MASTERSON!"

"Yeah, Coach?" I sat up, brushing my hair out of my face to look up at my boss. Coach was a big, burly, red-headed man who could probably bench-press me if he really wanted to. Actually, he had tried to get me to let him do just that to show off to his son. I refused.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING LYING DOWN ON THE JOB? TEN MINUTES IN THE PENALTY BOX!"

"But Coach-"

"NOW, MASTERSON."

I mumbled something insulting as I dropped the sign and walked toward the back of the store. Once in the penalty box I sat and pouted because now my mind was free to wander and it tended to wander around Wyatt. I couldn't believe it had taken me this long to figure out I was in love with him. He was so, so perfect. I was such an idiot to let all these years blow past us. I was an idiot to pretend I didn't feel that feeling in my stomach whenever I saw him. I closed my eyes and replayed the morning, when he protected my honor. It sounds cheesy and corny and other food-related words but I didn't care because it was romantic and just plain nice.

After Coach released me from the penalty box, I went back to work, taping up new sale signs, dressing up a dummy in scuba diving wear, even mopping the aisles - anything to keep my brain off of what would happen in a few hours.

At five, Caitlin and Jude (who had a smear of lipstick on his cheek) were back, circling me as I mopped the floor. "Four more hours!" But, instead of running away, Jude slipped on the wet floor, pulling Caitlin down with him. They fell in a heap, laughing, and I couldn't help but laugh at them too, and then Jude held Caitlin's face in his hands and kissed her, right in the middle of a wet aisle at the Penalty Box.

I smiled as I watched them, happy that they were finally together. When they broke apart, Caitlin's eyes were glazed over and her face was flushed.

"Don't pass out, Cait," I giggled and nudged them with my mop. "Get out, guys, before I get sent back to the penalty box."

"Will do, dudette." Jude stood up, tugging a still unresponsive Caitlin with him. As they scampered away, Caitlin turned and pointed at Jude, mouthing _I think I love him_.

I gave her the thumbs up. We had known that for a long time.

At 5:30, I left for my break, getting insane butterflies because I knew Wyatt would be there. I approached the Big Squeeze, where Nikki and Jonesy were already sipping lemonades and staring deeply into each others eyes. I didn't even know Jonesy was capable of that.

Love changes people.

I smiled and sat down next to Nikki, who turned and grinned at me. "Three and a half hours."

"I know." I looked up and there was Wyatt and I thought I might puke.

"Calm down," Nikki said, touching my hand. "You look like you're going to barf."

"Please don't." Jonesy gagged.

Wyatt sat across from me. "Hey, guys."

"Hey." We said in unision.

Jude and Caitlin popped up from inside the lemon where Caitlin worked, hair frizzled and messy and _oh my gosh they made out in public_!

"Juuuuude!" Jonesy stood and leaned over for a high five as Caitlin blushed and struggled to fix her hair

"Duuuuude!" Jude slapped Jonesy's hand and laughed, looping his arm around Cait's waist. "You look fine," he whispered to her as they joined us at the table and God, they were so cute together.

My eyes drifted over to Wyatt - who, surprisingly, was looking at me. I blushed and pulled my eyes away, pretending to be interested in something Jonesy was babbling about, but I could feel his eyes on me, I could almost feel the smile coming off of him. I didn't know what that meant, but I couldn't help grinning behind my hand. I glanced at him once to find his eyes were still trained on me.

He knew. He knew what I had realized and I doubt he had to be told. I felt lighter, I felt better, and more than likely I was showing it.

After our break, we went our separate ways. Wyatt and I didn't say a word to each other, but we really didn't have to.

I glanced at the clock on my way into the Penalty Box. Three more hours.

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**AN**: One more chapter! After this I'll probably do a series of Jen/Wyatt, Jude/Caitlin, and Nikki/Jonesy oneshots. I hope you all like the ending I have planned for this story (:


	7. The Beginning

**The Beginning**

I never thought that freakin' clock was ever going to hit nine o'clock. Every hour on the hour either Caitlin and Jude or Nikki and Jonesy popped into the Penalty Box to tell me how much time was left and every time my stomach clenched tighter and tighter. I really shouldn't have been scared. I had nothing to be scared about. Wyatt liked me. Loved me, even. The rest of my friends were sure of that. And that moment at break - when he smiled at me so knowingly and I didn't hide the fact that I was pleased; it meant something. It all had to mean something.

At eight-thirty, the mall stores were all getting ready to close. I was counting the money in the cash register, still going over exactly what I would tell Wyatt when I saw him in - I glanced at the clock - Twenty-five minutes.

"I'M LETTING YOU OFF EARLY, MASTERSON. I CAN CLOSE UP TONIGHT."

I winced at Coach's tone (I swear the man has never heard of an 'inside voice') but nodded. "See you tomorrow, Coach." I grabbed my purse before walking out and waved to my boss. As annoying as he was, I really did like him as a boss, and I really enjoyed my job. Sports were my thing.

I still had nearly twenty minutes to waste before anyone else got off work. Instead of going to the Big Squeeze, I headed toward the doors that would lead me to the parking lot. In front of the fountain. Oh, come on, Caitlin practically begged me to do it there. Besides, it _was _romantic.

I passed Ron on my way out. He saw me, glanced around, and then walked in the opposite direction.

I giggled.

Outside, the cool wind lifted my hair. I crossed my arms, walking to the fountain. This all felt like a wild rollercoaster ride - a very nice rollercoaster that didn't involve puking my guts out. And Wyatt was on it, too. I smiled as I sat on the edge of the fountain, watching the water splash with a pleasant "spoosh". I ran my fingers over the surface of the water.

"Hey."

"Eek"ing, I spun around. Wyatt chuckled at my reaction and sat next to me, his thigh close to mine.

"Caitlin told me to meet you here." He smiled knowingly.

"Oh, um, yeah." Everything I had planned to say spilled out of my ears. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Sure. What's up?"

I laughed nervously, tucking my hair behind my ears. "Well. Uh. The other day, I kind of started to, um, feel." I sighed. "I sound stupid."

"No you don't." Wyatt touched my chin (eeek! eek eek!), forcing me to look up at him. He smirked crookedly and he looked so handsome under the moon and _thank you, Caitlin_. "Go on," he prompted.

"I started feeling. For you. I've never thought of you this way." My heart took command of my brain and I let it. I wasn't scared anymore. "But today I realized that I'm in love with you. That I have for a really, really long time, and I hope this doesn't weird you out -"

"Jen," he interrupted, putting one hand on either side of my face. "Why'd you wait so long?" he whispered, and then he kissed me.

Ah, kissing Wyatt. It should be a sport, because I would rock at it. Kissing Wyatt was like magic. Think of the best moment you've ever had in your entire life, the moment when you felt the happiest, and multipy it by about a hundred. His lips were soft and he applied just the right amount of pressure on mine, fitting perfectly. One hand slid from my face, down my arms, over my hand. I twisted it so my fingers interlocked with his, postively loving this feeling. I memorized every sensation of this moment - the way his tongue danced around my lips, asking for permission instead of just shoving it in my mouth and I eagerly parted my lips, rolling my tongue over his, and his warm hand holding mine. His other hand cupped me behind my head, tangling in my hair. I loved it. I loved everything about that kiss. I loved him. And this was just the beginning of something wonderful. We were just scraping the surface and I already felt like I might burst into flames.

When we finally broke apart, we were gasping for breath. I caught his eyes and then we both laughed. His other hand took my free one.

"I've loved you for a long time, Jen," he said, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles.

"I know." I smiled. "I'm sorry I made you wait so long."

"No big deal." He leaned forward, brushing his lips on mine. "So, what brought you to your senses?"

I grinned, running my top lip over his bottom one. "It all started with a dream."

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**AN**: And there it is. The end. I was really bummed when I finished this, haha, because I love it so much. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my story. 3


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